My Best Friend
by Nals
Summary: The all-famous Lightning McQueen was Marlene Stevenson's best friend. Marlene is still looking for him. But when she finds him, devastating secrets lead to drama. Rated T for a little suggestive content.
1. Childhood

_**Chapter One**_

_A/N: This is my first fic in/about the movie, __Cars__, and some things may be wrong about the way the movie interprets it. ^-^" I'm not really familiar with automobiles; I'm just a humble writer, but I do research too. So help me out whenever you can in your reviews, and I'll reply with an edited version of the chapter! Don't worry; I'll notify you if there is. :3_

_NOTE: I do __**NOT**__ own the Cars franchise; they belong to Disney and Pixar. ^-^_

The day was nice, sunny but windy, and the scent of the moving truck filled the air. A young dark silver Audi A7 peered out of the window to see their new neighbors.

"Mama," the little automobile squeaked, "can I go out and meet the new neighbors?"

Her mother, a beautiful silver Audi A6, peered out the window over her little daughter's head. "Oh, alright. Just be careful, okay?"

"Yes, Mama!" After giving her mother a light kiss on the fender, she raced outside.

Peering past the gate of the new neighbor, she eyed boxes of things: household, hardware, business, and personal alike. She couldn't see any cars; they must be inside.

"Hello-o?" she called.

A sleek black Lola B08/60 (without the racing colors) appeared from behind the pile of boxes. "Oh, hello, dear."

"Hi, Mrs..?"

"Mrs. McQueen," the lady racecar said, driving to meet the little one. "And you are?"

"Marlene. Marlene Stevenson," Marlene squeaked happily. "Welcome to the neighborhood!"

Mrs. McQueen gave a laugh. "Are you the only one in the village, honey?"

"No, but I think you guys should be welcomed as soon as possible; we didn't get that when we moved two years ago," Marlene said sheepishly.

Mrs. McQueen chuckled. "Thank you then, Marlene," she said, and Marlene grinned.

"Well, what do we have here, hon?" a gentle bass voice sounded from behind Mrs. McQueen. It was a bright red 1965 Ford GT40 with a navy blue stripe down his hood, and he drove to Mrs. McQueen's side.

"This is Marlene Stevenson, the neighbor's daughter. You know, the one next door?" She turned to the young car in front of her. "Marlene, this is my husband, Mr. McQueen."

"Well, hello there, young one," he said, smiling. "I take it you're the welcoming committee?"

"I…I guess so," she said shyly, giving a nervous laugh.

"You're pretty, aren't you?" he said, eyeing her well. He turned around. "Hey son!" he called. "Come here for a sec."

A slightly darker red car—more like a light crimson—emerged from behind his father. He looked like a mix of his parents in the physical features, but the majority of his color came from his father. His eyes were blue like the sky above, and his smile seemed to make her happy.

"Hi," he said shyly.

"Lightning, this is Marlene, our new neighbor," his father said. "Marlene, this is Lightning, our son."

She cocked her head to the side, frowning in curiosity. "Why is he called Lightning?" she asked innocently.

"You should have seen him when he just came out of his mother: awake and hyper already, racing around like crazy, and we all saw he was fast, and so…" Mr. McQueen shrugged, "there went his name."

Lightning nudged his dad. "Dad! Shut up," he murmured to the middle-aged car.

The parents only laughed. "Oh, go on, son; go play with your new playmate."

His eyes shone as he looked at them. "Really?"

"Go on ahead and have fun," his mother said. "Your father and I'll handle things over here."

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "Thanks Mom!" After kissing and hugging good-by and reminders about curfew, the two sped away.

"So, are there any playgrounds around here?" he asked as they drove.

"Yeah, there are a few," she said. "There's one nearby and there's a race track open for the public just a few blocks from here."

"Really?" Lightning looked excited, and was jumping.

"Yeah. Come on," she said, and they hurried over to the old abandoned race track.

"Whoa," Lightning whispered as he took in the view of his first real race track.

"Yeah," Marlene murmured. "I've wanted to try it, but it seemed stupid to race without an opponent." She looked at him with a challenge in her eyes.

He caught on pretty quickly, and his eyes glinted with a challenge as they made their way down to the faded starting line. They took their places side by side, just far enough that they can't hit each other.

"Ready…" Marlene murmured. Her engine revved lightly, and his roared a little louder than hers. "Set…" she raised her backside in attempt to ready herself, and he did the same. "_GO!_"

Their tires screeched, and they sped along the track, one turn at a time, each one having their dreams turned to reality as they raced: flashing lights, the screams of their fans, and the wild comments about their places from the announcers, Darrel Cartrip and Bob Cutlass. They both fought for the lead—it was close, but they were tied.

"I won!"

"No, I won!"

They both argued all the way home, but they took some sort of detour and ended up in a sort of cave. They unthinkingly faced the sunset, and the view shut them up. They stared, awed at the view, their mouths gaped slightly. She was the first one to shake out of the trance.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, still staring.

He looked at her, and she looked at him. She scooted closer beside him, and leaned against him.

"We should be best friends," he said after a while, looking at her.

She looked at him, smiling. "Yeah."

_Alright, this should do for the first chapter; I think I've tapped myself out. This is unedited, uncut, written on-the-spot. I got my inspiration from __**MissCarrera**__, the greatest writer I've seen so far who's doing fics about the franchise (search Cars(franchise) in Wikipedia and you'll understand :3). I watched _Cars 2 _and boom I'm hooked. It was the –enth time I've watched the first movie, but I watched again and I was hooked to the whole thing. xD Yes, enough about my gushing; please review and tell me what's wrong!_


	2. Breakage

_**Chapter Two**_

_You don't know anything about love!_ Her mother screamed.

_You don't know anything about commitment, either! _Her father fired back.

The two Stevensons have been fighting since her father started coming in late from work six months ago: coming home all tired, woozy and irritable, and her mother blamed him for going out with his female officemates and partying 'til he dropped. In that state, he would, of course, retort with vicious words that Marlene had never heard of before, and that would start hour-long fights. She would cry herself to sleep because she didn't know why her father would do such things to them and why her mother would even fight that way when she should really be tending to him when he comes home.

Marlene is now sixteen, having already outgrown her childlike sweetness; all of that to be replaced by the maturing lady she was. She'd taken a slightly darker tint in her paint job (although it made no difference to Lightning; he still saw her physically as the same seven-year-old he'd met nine years ago), and was curvier than her kid self (still, Lightning can't see her differently either). Through the years, she'd grown into a feisty young girl with a strong attitude. Her personality evolved from sweet, shy little girl to assertive, intelligent woman.

That late afternoon, Lightning and Marlene were waiting in her room, waiting for the storm to pass. Marlene couldn't help crying softly while he sat there. All that made her hold on was his calming presence, and it helped her to not wail furiously or to barge in her parents' room to join in the fight.

Lightning nuzzled his friend gently, and she leaned against him, tired, stressed out, and feeling hopeless. He pressed against her, trying to shut away the sounds of shouting from the room across the hall.

Lightning, also sixteen, also took on a darker shade of red (although Marlene hadn't noticed), as well as a change in voice (it sounded the same to Marlene), and his features seemed more 'manly' than before (she hasn't noticed this, either). All throughout the years, his personality also changed: from adventurous little twerp to handsome, average-minded, stubborn, semi-reckless young fellow who liked challenges and who knows what he wants. This type of attitude made the girls in their high school feel faint as he passed by and smiled at them.

Mr. Stevenson barged angrily out of the room and out into the hall, fuming. Her mother trailed after him, screaming profanities, and they had another clash. Finally, her mother just stormed back into the room, packed her things, and left out the front door. Her father yelled, 'Good riddance!' and slammed the door behind her.

Marlene didn't know what to do. She was confused and hurt and stressed out, and with the hardest term of senior year, she didn't know if she could survive the pressure. In the nights that came, nightmares left her hurting in the mornings, and father and daughter were haggard with lack of sleep. Her grades started slipping, and she didn't care. She felt empty inside, like she was living a nightmare she didn't want to be in. She took up simple home cooking lessons when she could to make up for the things her mother was supposed to do, but it also helped keep her attention away from reality. But on weekends, when there wasn't anything to do in the spic-and-span home, she would just ask her friend to come with her to the special hideaway they found years ago. They would just sit there silently, watching the sun set and the stars appear. No conversation was needed. Lightning didn't know how to comfort her. The only solution was to accept the reality of the situation: her family, her beloved family, was broken. Through all that silence, Lightning thought how lucky his own parents were.

But that was not to last.

About a month after the last time she saw her mother was the day her father and mother agreed to divorce their marriage. Unfortunately, that day was the start of the McQueens' own fights. It was Lightning's turn to feel hurt and confused. Marlene can only stand by his side, knowing all that can help him was her own presence. There wasn't anything to keep his mind off the situation. He was afraid of losing one of his parents. Would it be his mother, too, or his father? After two months, his mother left, too.

He begged his mother to leave the day she did, but nothing would deter her from what she wanted: freedom from what she thought was the prison that held her from her true potentials. She told him many vicious things that he never heard of and never wanted to hear, and from his own mother at that~ Marlene had to pull him back from the fight before he got hurt, but nonetheless, he got hit by his own mother trying to make him back off. For many nights, he too cried himself to sleep, ad the nightmares started to plague him. They both showed up in school badly shaken and extremely tired from the nightmares. They barely ate, and were looking a little thin. When even the teachers noticed, they sent them to the school counselor. When even he couldn't help them, he called a friend of his, a head doctor, and asked him to help them.

The three had a large argument about the situation; the two were stubborn enough to still say that they haven't recovered, but what have they achieved from living in the past? The head doctor tried to convince them that they should look to the future instead. After the meeting, the two left the campus with new determinations: they would follow their dreams instead of living in the past, they would try their best to be what they wanted to be in the future, and to do that, they would need to finish their studies first.

That one small step did them good in the long run.


	3. Love

_Well, your reviews forced me to continue, so here is the next chapter~ 3_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Three<strong>_

A year after their visit to the head doctor, they were on summer vacation, and had finished their first year of their chosen course. They'd rented apartments near their college (their chosen courses were available in the same college campus, thank Chrysler) since the dorms were full. Lightning was given an apartment, while Marlene lived in the penthouse. The money left by her father helped pay for the rent, although she worked for money for other things and any extra went to the rent. But on one day, they left town to go back to their childhood home and to revisit the good ld memories.

The beautiful dark silver Audi nudged her friend. "Let's go to the track," she said.

"Feeling lucky?" the American racer challenged.

"Yeah," she growled, revving her engine lightly.

With that, they both drove to the old abandoned track. When they had positioned themselves at the starting line, side by side, they set the rules and the stakes.

"Two laps?" she suggested.

"No cheating," he confirmed.

"Loser buys dinner?"

"You're on."

"Ready…" she started. The two cars' engines revved. "Set…" they looked at each other with challenging glints in their eyes. "GO!" At the same time, the two cars sped along the track. With good speed, Lightning claimed the lead, but no matter how hard Marlene tried to build speed, she was afraid to crash into the wall, and ended up finishing second by a foot.

Lightning jumped ecstatically while Marlene sighed, shaking her head at him. She'd lost with good reason.

As they drove out of the track, she asked, "So, where are we going for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know yet," he said.

Just then, she knew she couldn't possibly buy dinner for both of them. She knew he'd pick a some fancy restaurant they wanted to try, but it had been too expensive, and turned it down. He looked at her, then knew what was going on in her head.

"Look, if you can't pay for it, why don't we just skip the bet?" he said worriedly.

"Oh, no, don't do that," she said. "We agreed on it, so it has to happen."

He sighed. There was no arguing with this female.

"Come on, Dragon, don't tell me you're going soft just because I'm a girl," she said, using the old pet name she'd given him years ago when they saw a dragon dance. She'd referred him as a 'red dragon' ever since.

"I am not, Storm," he snorted. He'd also referred her to storm clouds they saw years ago, and not only that, but it was also something to get back at her for calling him a dragon.

She only laughed, nudging him. "Come on; let's go home."

Just then, a snazzy black car drove in front of them. "How would you like Rust-eze medicated bumper ointment to sponsor you in races?" he asked.

"Wait, what?" Lightning couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah, you heard me right, kiddo. My bosses are offering you a one-of-a-kind offer to start you on your new career," the black car confirmed.

The two cars' eyes widened, both with different reasons. Lightning's was of surprise and amazement; Marlene's was of horror as she knew what her friend would say.

"Really?" Lightning couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. I saw you in the race today, and I think you've got the potential."

"But what about her?" he mused, motioning to Marlene with his tire. "She's good too."

"Good, but not good enough," the car said. "A sports car made for the road can never be able to race."

Lightning felt his oil start to boil in anger, but said nothing. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Great," the car said. "Here's my card." He handed over a card with his name and number. "Just call me Harv. I'll be your new agent. Call the second number to get through to your new boss," he added. "I'll give you three days to prepare. On the third day, we leave, is that alright?"

"Yessir," Lightning agreed, and Harv drove off.

Marlene felt like she was sucked into a whole new nightmare. She'd already lost her mother. Her father kicked her out of the house. And now her best friend was leaving? What more could be taken away from her?

She sat there in absolute horror, shaking lightly, not taking any notice of Lightning, who tried to shake her back to reality. And then, the stress was just too much for her, and she blacked out on the spot.

She woke up in her penthouse, and the first thing she saw in her still-woozy vision was Lightning's crimson color. Her mind slowly started working again, and more defined lines filled her vision. Lightning was right in front of her, with a doctor right beside him. She moaned. Her head was still heavy with stress and shock.

"Wh…wha…where…?" she asked, unable to give voice to the questions in her mind.

"You fainted on the track, Marlene, and we had to have you towed home; it was close than the hospital. Dr. Hermlin Franco took a look at you—good thing he takes house calls—and said it was just stress and shock. But we still don't know what made this happen," Lightning said, quickly filling her in on details.

"I still think it has something to do with an experience or something in her mind though," Dr. Franco mused.

_And__ I __hope__ the__ reason __never __comes __out,_ she thought to herself, closing her eyes to sleep. But instead of the blackness, she saw her family bet torn apart by the mistake her parents had, and the events of earlier today. She shut her eyes tight, keeping her tires in, bracing herself for the hurting sensation in her heart, and Lightning panicked.

"What's happening to her?" he said, alarmed.

"She'll be fine; it's something only time can cure," the doctor said sadly as Marlene relaxed, opening her eyes in the slightest. "what experiences has she had that has made a scar too big to forget?"

"That would be the divorce of her parents, then she was kicked out of the home by her father, then she had a look of horror in her eyes as I was offered a contract to represtend a product and become a racecar…"he trailed off as the doctor nodded.

"That's it. You're leaving her, aren't you, to pursue a dream of yours?" he asked, and Lightning nodded in surprise. "Well then, she obviously cares for you more than you know."

Lightning paused. "You mean…?"

"Yep."

Lightning didn't know what to say.

"Come on; let's let her sleep for a while," the doctor said, reversing and heading out the door. Lightning only settled beside her, brushing against her good side slightly. Today's recent events sent his mind in a whirl and he didn't know if he could keep track of things any faster than he can experience them.

She looked at him, and he looked back at her. "Anything I could do to help?" he asked.

"I don't think so." She leaned against him. His gaze softened as he gazed at her, and nuzzled her bumper gently.

She blinked. "I love you, you know," she said. She didn't know whether to explain it longer or shorter, but she blurted out, "It's more than as a best friend, and I can't help it."

He chuckled. "I can't help it either," he murmured, still nuzzling her. "I love you too."

She smiled, her eyes glistening as she nuzzled him back.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, there are a few things I'd like to say. (1) I'd like to say thanks to my first two reviewers; you guys are awesome~ 3 You guys gave me the encouragement I needed to do this next chapter, and most possibly the next. :3 (2) Next week, I will probably not be on my laptop due to school days, but weekends will be exclusive, do NOT worry. I will devote my free time to hand-writing the next chapters as much as I can. (3) I am sorry that I didn't finish this chapter earlier due to my obsession with another story; you guys will very much soon find out what it is! (4) This story will roughly be lower than 10 chapters, so please don't flame me about how short it is! And even if some of my chapters will be short in the future, I still wouldn't like to be flamed for any reason at all. :3 If you like, please review nicely and I'll take your complaints to heart. ^-^<em>


	4. Refused and Reunited

_Alright; the present time at the lower half of this chapter roughly happens after Lightning settles in Radiator Springs. ^-^ Just a note._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Four<strong>_

The next two days were rather hectic. Marlene continuously fussed over Lightning whenever she was home from work or whenever she had free time at home. Lightning was starting to get frustrated with her new attitude, but was quite amused at times. They were best friends, after all, and they promised to look after each other after they left their parents' homes.

In the future, they agreed to write e-mails regularly when they had the time, and after the season had ended, he would come back to visit her. He told her that on the third day, they would drive together to the airport, promising that they would do so after her work hours.

The two days passed, and on the third day, when Marlene had come home from work, she checked his apartment. It was clean, cleared of all the things he had. No suitcases, no luggage, nothing. She went up to her penthouse. The only thing that caught her eye was a letter with an ID lace peeking out of it. She opened the letter, and it revealed a VIP pass. She then read the letter.

_Dear Marlene,_

_I know and I'm sorry that I left earlier today while you were at work, but Harv came and picked me up. He was quite insistent to go; he only gave me time to write this letter, lucky me._

_That VIP pass you have right now was from the Rusty brothers, my new bosses, as I have requested from them. I told them that you wanted to see me race for real some time, and they granted me this pass. Please see me compete when you can!_

_I love you,  
>Lightning.<em>

She broke down at his letter. He promised! He promised they would drive together to the airport, and now he left without saying good-by.

The next few years were harder than ever. Two years after Lightning had left, she had to work harder to achieve the highest position in their branch: manager. She's always wanted that position, as that her weekly salary can pay for her monthly rent. What was worse was that after Lightning was qualified to race for the Piston Cup, he never came to visit or send e-mails anymore. But as she watched on the TV, she noticed something different about him: he was arrogant and self-centered, not anymore the nice, humble, sweet best friend she knew years ago. Suddenly, she turned her back on him.

Just months after she was promoted, her editor requested her to serve as a 'reporter' or a watchdog in Italy. He thought about expanding the magazine's 'territory', and first thought about where the best cars and the best events were held: lovely Porto Corsa, Italy.

She was overjoyed. The editor said that she should take up an Italian language course of two to four years, then officially move to Italy. It wasn't urgent, but it was important all the same. But balancing work with rest time was hard enough, but with a language course to take up more of her time, sleep was harder to get than ever.

At times that she broke under the stress, she would soak in warm water until she calmed down, which usually took about an hour, and she would feel quite better afterwards. But all the same, her heart felt empty. She didn't have anyone to share her stories with, no one to talk to when she was lonely, and now, she was starting to get scared of the dark again.

It was the worst four years she ever had. She never felt so frustrated in her life.

And then, her editor called for her to take a short, three-week vacation. He assured her that he would pay for all her expenses (she had been a loyal, hardworking car in their business, after all), and that she didn't have to worry about the office. Luckily, it was vacation time in college, and she took the time to rest.

She drove from Colorado, hoping to reach California. But as she drove, she noticed cars going off to some place called Route 66. Deciding to explore, she went off the highway to the small road, and she passed many happy cars going back onto the highway. She pushed on, until she saw a small town called Radiator Springs.

She smiled at the number of cars that were happy with the town, and was quite eager to try the town out. She went into the lobby of the Cozy Cone Motel, and met a beautiful Porsche behind the counter.

"Hello, welcome to the Cozy Cone Motel," the Porsche greeted, smiling. "I'm Sally, the owner. Would you like to reserve a cone for later?"

Marlene nodded, smiling back. "Yes. May I reserve one for, say, two or three weeks?"

The Porsche nodded. "Cone number two, if you please."

Marlene nodded, and headed over to the second cone from the main road. As she checked it out, she nodded in approval, thinking it was really nice, and placed a 'reserved' sign on the door before leaving for Flo's.

She settled into a spot on the left side, the one nearest to the shop, and one of two twins attended to her.

"Hi, I'm Mia, and welcome to Flo's V8 Café!" she greeted happily. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"A can of oil, hon," Marlene said, smiling back. Mia nodded her excuse and went off to get Marlene's oil. As she came back, a big red trailer arrived at Radiator Springs. As she sipped, she rolled her eyes, sighing. _What,another one of them hotshots to come and ruin a nice town?_ she scoffed.

The oil tasted really good, and deviated from her usual serving of one can to two. Just then, someone screamed.

"Lightning's back!" one of the twins squealed, and she glanced at the racer being unloaded. Her eyes widened.

It was her best friend.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, I think that was enough and that leaves you guys with a cliffhanger that finally worked. xD Anyhoo, what do you think will Marlene's reaction be? Will she go to him and welcome him back into her life or give him a fight they'll never forget? Find out in the next chapter!<em>


	5. Back on Track

_Alright, I'd like to say that there have been edits to Chapter Four, so please check it out~ ^-^"_

_Also, I am extrmeley sorry that I am unable to upload this fifth chapter in time, but second term is so hectic I can barely write on a laptop! D8 But there it is, just as I promised! 3_

_**Chapter Five**_

Marlene couldn't believe her eyes. It was _the_ Lightning McQueen!

Forgetting her can of oil, she drove over to check if it really was her best friend. The residents crowded around the racer, making it partly impossible to see. But when they had moved to a more unused street to the side, she saw that it really was her best friend.

She smiled. She hasn't seen him in years!

She drove over to greet him, but a sight stopped her short—the blue Porsche from earlier was nuzzling him. And what made her heart sink was where she saw that he was nuzzling her back. But she stayed to see more.

"Welcome back, son," the sheriff said gently.

"It's been too quiet when you were gone, honey," Flo, the owner of the café said, and the rest of the residents nodded.

"Well, I suppose it's good to be home," Lightning replied, and the others smiled.

Marlene couldn't help but shoulder her way to get a fuller view of the racer. He looked…changed. Like he wasn't the arrogant racer she saw on TV. And suddenly, his eyes were on her.

It was like everything disappeared around him as he slowly moved forward in her direction. The rest of the cars made way for him to pass as he stopped right in front of Marlene.

"Marlene?" he whispered gently, not believing his eyes.

"Yeah" was all she managed to say, and she smiled weakly. She really did miss him.

There was silence for a moment as they stared at each other, remembering the times before he left, until someone broke the silence.

"Erm, Stickers, who is this?" the Porsche asked, driving to his side.

"Sally, this is Marlene. She was my best friend before I left her to enter the life of a racer," he said without looking away from Marlene. "I haven't seen you in three years. How could you have managed?"

She shrugged. "You know me," she supposed. "I still think you know me better than I do."

Lightning sighed, looking deep into her eyes, feeling the love they shared before he left. And yet, he knew in his heart that he couldn't think about her that way anymore now that Sally had agreed to be his love. The love in his eyes turned to sadness and Marlene wondered what was wrong.

Lightning must have read her mind, because answered, "I'm sorry Marlene. I can't see you that way anymore." He breathed deeply before continuing, knowing that he must be hurting her more than he ever could. "I've got Sally now, and I can't possibly give up on her. Not here, and especially not now."

Marlene's heart sank. She never thought of it this way before. She thought he would welcome her back into his life, like the three years were never there, like he didn't go, that he always loved her since. But this was a nightmare, and she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"But Lightning, you...you promised," she said weakly, tears threatening to show.

"I know I promised Marlene, but things have changed, you know?" He stared at her for a while. "Please Marlene. I know you can understand."

"But I don't!" she blurted. "I can't! This wasn't how-"

"-how it was supposed to happen?" he continued for her. "Marlene, I know how you feel, but I can't just abandon Sally or this town for someone I haven't seen in over five years."

Marlene felt anger heat her oil, and tears of frustration made her eyes start to glisten. "But...but...you...I..."

"Marlene, please," Lightning said gently, "there are other cars out there. I can't always be in your life, you know. It can't always be me—just that it can't always be you in my own life."

Unable to help herself, she backed away and raced as far and as fast as her engine would permit her. She reached a secluded place just behind the waterfall, and she couldn't derail the train of thoughts.

She felt dizzy from all the things that she'd known today. How could she have been so stupid to believe that he still loved her? How could she still believe he was the same car she was best friends with four years ago?

But how can you not love the blue Porsche? She looks gorgeous, even if Marlene was a girl herself. Most cars would probably be envious of her.

And yet, she loved the red racer. Still. But how far would she go to hold on to her love for him?

She stayed in that spot for the whole afternoon. When the sun had started to set and her tears have dried, she set off back towards town. The residents didn't know how to welcome her back, so they just stayed away from her in fear of a bad reaction. She didn't mind. She headed for Flo's and ordered a can of Flo's best.

"Hey there, hon," a familiar voice greeted, and she saw Flo in front of her.

"Hi Flo," Marlene said sullenly.

"You know, when he got here, those two used to fight like cat and dog." She motioned to Sally and Lightning just chatting together by the motel lobby. "But when he did the town a favor, their attitudes changed, and there they were."

She sighed. "I don't need to know what he's done in the past years," she said, trying to not sound cold.

"You may not know, but he's done well, considering that when he came here, he was that same old arrogant fool like Chick Hicks." Flo sighed. "And he loves her like the wind in his ears or the adrenaline that pulses through him when in a race."

Marlene pursed her lips in consideration. Judging from the look in his eyes, he did look like he really loved the Porsche. Bowing her head, she sighed in resignation.

"I can't do anything to change his mind, can I?" she asked Flo.

The older car shook her head. "I don't think so."

Marlene sighed in defeat, then drove over to the two lovers.

"I want to say I'm sorry for earlier this afternoon," she started as they stared at her. "I guess all the news was too much for me to believe on the spot. I mean, I've been gone for four years and suddenly there's someone in my place. That's a little disconcerting." She stared at Sally. "I'm sorry if I intruded or anything, but I suppose I'll have to entrust him in your care from this point on. I mean, I can't always be there for him now that you're here or now that I've got a job in a whole other state, so yeah."

The couple's gazes softened, and Sally was the first to speak. "You know Marlene, you're not so bad after all." Marlene didn't know whether to smile at that or otherwise. "I mean, at first, I thought you were some selfish fangirl that wanted Lightning for yourself, but I guess you really do care. I didn't know how much you cared, but we never knew how much you wanted him back or how far you would go to keep him."

Sally smiled. "I guess we can live with you for the years to come."

Marlene grinned. "So I'm back? Really?"

Lightning laughed. "Yeah, you're back."

Marlene squeaked in delight. "Oh, thank you so much! I've never felt this distraught since high school," she said eagerly, barely containing herself.

The two laughed. "Why don't you go bother the twins? I hear they're bored right now."

Marlene's gaze softened. "Thanks Sally. For everything." With a happy, lighter heart, she drove away.

_So, what do you guys think? If you guys think this chapter is the end, then think again! I'd like to hear your comments/reviews, plus any concrete obstacles that I can put in! I want to extend this to at least ten chapters, so please tell me. :3 Some of your ideas might be rejected due to difficulty of maipulation. Only at least one or two will be put into the story and we'll see how this turns out. ^-^ I love you guys!_


	6. Deception

_Alright guys; here is the sixth chapter! ^-^ I am extremely sorry for the late; I'm really busy with term finals right now that I can't seem to find out which one to do first, so yeah, please hang on toyour pants!_

_**Chapter Six**_

It has been three days since Marlene had arrived in Radiator Springs, and all was peaceful. She had been welcomed back with happy smiles by the residents, and settled in nicely. On her first night, she was given the chance to introduce herself to the residents, with a little help from Lightning, during the evenings when they usually gathered at Flo's. And within that time, she had discovered things that should have been kept from her forever.

On the second evening since her arrival, everyone was in their usual places, chatting with one another. And then, an errant thought brought itself to the forefront of Tia's mind.

"Marlene?" she called the older car with genuine curiosity.

"Yes, Tia?"

"In that three years, have you ever…?" Tia asked innocently, and the rest of the cars looked at her. "What? It's an innocent question."

Marlene shook her head, knowing full well what the younger car meant. She'd heard enough from her officemates what the discreet sentence gave meaning to. "Our school taught us values, you know," she said, smiling good-naturedly at the twins, scolding lightly, but as she looked at Lightning, he looked…embarrassed, like an errant schoolboy being scolded by his teacher. She looked around, and the twins looked deep in thought. Those insignificant movements hit her hard.

Marlene looked at Lightning. "You…you did it, didn't you?" she said weakly. "You did it…with them?"

Lightning looked at her fearlessly. "I don't regret doing it to Sally," he said.

"But what about them?" she insisted. "They look like they're only, what, sixteen or eighteen? Do you regret doing it to them?"

He looked away, unable to answer. The uninvolved cars backed away, except for Flo.

Marlene narrowed her eyes. "I didn't think so."

"Marlene, I can explain—"

"They taught us the right thing, Lightning!" she said, unable to believe what she was hearing. "You're lucky they aren't pregnant!"

"How do you know—"

"You remember how my three cousins got pregnant? The first two at a young age, the next before she even got married?" she said weakly. "And how one of them pulled the father down along with her?" Hard anger boiled inside her. "How could you let this happen!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Not your fault?" Marlene fumed. "How can you not think? You were the male, the dominant one, and yet, you were pulled down by temptation?"

"If you knew how it felt, how even kissing felt, you'd agree to do it!" he called out, fuming. The four cars backed away from the clash. "If you knew how good it was to feel what I've felt—what _they've_ felt—you wouldn't be mad like this right now!" He thrust his face against hers, blue eyes burning. "But you're just like your mother—you don't care what I feel about this, you don't care what it feels like, and you think you're so much better than anyone else! You think you're so special, but you're not! You're just an ordinary car—a nobody!"

Her heart sank, and hot tears were threatening to show. "Don't you dare talk that way about my mother!" she screamed. "Yours had the same problem, so you've no right!"

"I've got as much right to do so as the next male in sight!" he spat.

Mater looked at Lightning a little dumbly. "I can?"

She glared at him, and then backed away. "Now I understand why my mother wanted to divorce my father. Now I understand why we were left by both our mothers—because our fathers were good-for-nothings!" She didn't want to say what she wanted to let out—she couldn't believe it herself—but she had to face the facts: their parents were cheating, and this was the way she understood. "They were tired of each other, and so will we be to our own spouses! Take a look around, Lightning," she said weakly, "look at us; fighting over cheating. Soon you'll be able to do that to Sally, too, and soon, it will be my turn." She tried not to shut her eyes and keep her tires in, bracing herself, and barely succeeded. The truth had to come out. "They left us in their care…because they wanted them to see what we will be when we grow up: copies of them."

"That won't ever happen! I won't ever do that to Sally!" he shouted. "I love her, and I won't ever think of her that way, not like we or our parents did!"

She looked at him, eyes full of sorrow. "Just accept it, Lightning," she said weakly, like all her energy had been drained. "A spat because one of you cheated will happen; you'll see." She sighed. "Look where it's gotten us."

"You're wrong!" he said, voice shaking. "You're wrong about everything you're saying! You…I…she…" he stammered, starting to believe her, but stubbornness kept him from doing so. "You're crazy!"

She shook her head. "I'm not, Lightning. I'm not. This is the truth."

"It can't be!"

"I'm sorry." With that, she started driving towards her cone, but turned to say one more thing. "I'm sorry I fought you, Lightning. I didn't mean to. I was just concerned." She then headed to her cone, shut the door, and started crying herself to sleep.

The next morning, Marlene woke, puffy-eyed, at the sound of the hourly alarm going off. Glancing at the click, it was nine AM. She'd missed Flo's morning special.

She headed out the door, heading over to Flo's and settling into her usual spot. Mia then approached.

"What'll it be?" the Miata asked.

"Is the morning special still going?" Marlene asked back tiredly.

"You can have the last cup." With that, the Miata disappeared.

Marlene rested on her tires, allowing her eyes to droop a little. It was then that she heard a semi-familiar engine purr beside her. She didn't look up, knowing full well the blue Porsche would be fairly angry at her. But she was the first to speak.

"You know, I was mad at him when I found out," Sally started, and Marlene stared at her. "Got pretty upset, too. Everyone was distraught for a while."

"What happened?"

"Everything just went right again. The twins said sorry, Lightning made it up to me…in some way," she added quickly, noticing Marlene's horrified expression.

"So…I'm not obliged to say sorry to you for last night?" Marlene asked, looking at the blue Porsche.

Sally laughed once. "No, it's fine." There was silence for a moment, then Sally spoke once more. "Why don't we have some sort of bonding thing? You know, girl-to-girl, get to know each other," she suggested.

Marlene brightened at her idea. "Well, sure. Would this afternoon be alright?"

The other car nodded assent. "We leave right after lunchtime?"

Marlene nodded, and Sally bid good-by to attend to other matters. Mia came back with a can on her tray.

"I didn't want to disturb you two," the Miata apologized.

Marlene only laughed. "It's alright," she comforted gently, and paid for the can with a little tip.

As she sipped her oil, excitement built in her throat like a little child excited to receive her birthday present, and she looked forward to the afternoon.

Lightning yawned. He hadn't had a restless night since the months after Doc died, and he wasn't about to start that all over again. He slipped out of his cone, and drove towards Flo's. There, he saw Marlene and Sally talking. They must be having a calm argument, ready to build in heat until Sally walked away from a hotheaded Marlene. Knowing his friend, she would refuse to be knocked away from her goal. Stubborn as she was, she would have to submit to the Porsche.

He didn't want to get into the fight and left to drive toward Mater's, not bothering to get breakfast. He was too upset now to eat. Then, he found his best friend, and wanted to find solace there.

"Hey, McQueen!" Mater called in the middle of pulling his sign to the side.

"Hey Mater," Lightning said sullenly, and this caught the tow truck's attention.

"Hey, what'sa matter?" Mater had disengaged his hook from the sign to drive to his friend's front, a worried look on his face.

"It's about Marlene," he started. "I don't know what I'm going to do about her now that she knows the truth."

"Well shoot, if she's a true friend of yers, then she'll accept the truth sooner or later," Mater said. "I mean, if she's trying to mold you into the car she want ya to be, then that's all swell, but if she wants ya to be as perfect as she thinks perfect is, then she better leave ya alone."

Lightning paused for a moment, his face worried yet thoughtful, then he turned to his friend. "Do you think she's like the latter?"

"Well sure! I mean, she said so last night, you know," he said. "She couldn't believe you, them twins and Miss Sally got hooked up before she came here, and actually got mad at ya for it."

"You're right…maybe she isn't the best friend for me," Lightning said, anger and resentment bubbling in his stomach.

"Well, I'm here, ya know," the two truck said, "and I'll always be here fer ya, buddy."

Lightning smiled. "Thanks, Mater."

"So, what'll you do now about Marlene?"

"It's about time I let her know she can't change how I want my life, no matter how much she cares."

Early that afternoon, Marlene was outside the motel lobby, waiting for Sally to finish her paperwork. It was just after lunch, and Sally had claimed that she would just finish the rest of the papers today so they can have fun 'til the evening.

Marlene whistled a little tune to herself as she watched Guido stack the tires on the other side of the road, and smiled to herself at how happy the little forklift was. When a tire would fall, she was impressed by the way he caught it easily and went back to work. It was a familiar engine purr that broke her thoughts.

"Oh, hey Lightning," she said, turning to the side to find her friend. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, not really," he said calmly, and sided by her. It was quiet for a while, until she knew something was on his mind.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, looking at him.

"Oh, nothing really, just thinking that you might involve yourself too much in my life," he said, unveiled distaste in his tone.

She looked at him, surprised. "What—?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he growled. "You know that you just can't stand the fact that I've been through more than you ever will."

"Lightning, I didn't mean—"

"You're just jealous that you're not my girlfriend. You're just jealous because Sally gets just about all my attention. You just can't stand the fact that you can never be seen that way ever again."

"Lightning, what are you blabbering about?"

"I know what you meant behind your words last night. I know what you want to do."

Her eyes darted around as he faced her. "Uhh…what do you mean?"

"You spat some things that I noticed were concerns of yours that weren't supposed to be so," he growled. "Just because I loved you before I left—before we broke ties—doesn't mean that we should be getting back together again just like old times. This isn't 2003 anymore, Marlene! Wake up from your stupid reality and think!"

Marlene was getting more and more scared by the heartbeat as she stated backing away as he neared in fury. "Wh…but I—"

"I know what you wanted to do, Marlene. You want me to be the car you've always wanted me to be. But I can't, and I never will! So just back off!" With that, he turned, burning the rubber off his tires and sending smoke down her windpipe, and left Marlene coughing and scared.

"Marlene?" Sally called quite happily, approaching the dark silver car. "My paperwork's done and I'm ready to—what happened to you?" The Porche had noticed Marlene's horrified expression and sided by the Audi in an effort to comfort her.

"I…I have to get out of here," Marlene murmured almost inaudibly.

"You can't go! What about that shopping trip we agreed on?" Sally exclaimed. Inwardly, she was worried about her newfound friend. What had made the usually cheery Audi be horrified like that?

"It's the only way, Sally," Marlene murmured, choking at the lump in her throat. "I have to go. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I'm sorry." With that, she started driving off.

"But Marlene, wait!" Sally cried out, but Marlene had a large headstart on her. Sally sighed, looking down, as the rest of the female residents gathered around her to watch the beautiful R8 go.

"Her personality didn't fit her body," Mia said, and her sister eyed her curiously. "She looked sexy, but she wasn't arrogant like the popular girls at our school two years ago."

"She's beautiful, and she was so fun to be with," Tia murmured sadly.

"I wonder what happened," Flo mused, her voice trailing off.

As Mia drove away to check with the other customers, a familiar car caught her eye. Mater was right behind the Doc Hudson's museum, snickering evilly, like he wanted Marlene to go, and he dropped away into the shadows of the tumbleweeds.

_So I guess that's it for now!8D Left you guys with a cliffhanger, huh? I really wanted to use ChloexGalxoxo's plot in the reviws(thanks hon~), but I wanted it to have a little more flair than that. So here's a new plot devised by me, and we'll see how its trials unravel in ways I don't think I've even ever thought of before. 8D_

_D8! Mater's EVIL? You might want to flame me, yes, but once you understand that Mater just wants the best for his friends, you won't bother to flame me. He doesn't understand Marlene all that well yet, and probbly his first impression was someone who wanted to mold his best friend's life into the way she(Marlene) wanted it. I mean, look at it this way. If your BFF was so O/C(obsessive-compulsive) about your life, how would you or your other friend feel? :3 Hope that helps!_


	7. What Love Does

_his chapter would be split into three or four POV's. I thought it seemed more appropriate for it to be so instead of the usual narration. ^-^" And I am so extremely sorry about this chapter being so long! D8_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>_

_Marlene's POV_

I drove and drove and drove. I didn't know where to go. Home? To California? I didn't know. I didn't care.

How the heck did the idea that I wanted him to be the car I've always wanted to be or for him to be the car for me? I just wanted him to have a good life, one not riddled with lies, scandals and mistakes. I just wanted him to have a good future. I didn't care who he married. I didn't care what car would his girlfriend would be. He's a stubborn car that needs the guidance of someone more mature that he is…at least, more mentally mature than he is about choices.

But I didn't care anymore. He'd released me from the cage I've always been in all these years: one lined with worries and misgivings about the world. I didn't keep me safe, but it didn't make me happy, either. But now that I can spread my wings, I'm worried that I won't be able to survive. How ever will I be able to hunt for the food I need or the comfort I seek? How will I build a nest of my own, symbolizing those I hold close to me that I know will keep me warm during winter months?

I didn't care.

Suddenly, I heard a truck horn blare. Before I could do anything, it was suddenly dark.

* * *

><p><em>Lightning's POV<em>

As I drove away to the track at Willy's Butte, I thought about my spat with Marlene.

How _dare_ she even think about me that way? How dare she choose to do so? How dare she say I'm incapable of taking care of myself?

I raced along the dirt track, thinking it would take my mind off it. And it did. I ran around for only five laps when I saw Sheriff along the rise. He didn't usually visit Willy's Butte anymore, not after I helped the town. Wondering what was going on, I swerved to a smart stop near him and ambled over.

"What's the matter, Sheriff? You don't usually go here," I said in greeting. As I stared at him, I realized that his features seemed…worrisome and horrified.

"It's Marlene, Lightning," he said in his deep voice. "She's…had an accident."

* * *

><p><em>Sally's POV<em>

I didn't know what to think.

In that hour's flash report, the reporter claimed that the Interstate would be closed for the moment because a truck had fallen, claiming to have swerved to avoid a car that had immediately switched lanes without giving a signal. I could understand that, but what I couldn't believe was that Marlene would be a part of it.

She was pinned under the cargo the truck held-at least, her back half waas, just barely missing her eyes, thank goodness. ?As she was hauled gently out of the scene, along with two other cars that have (unfortunately) been driving quite close to the truck, one of the two declared dead.

Sheriff had gone to find Lightning, and just as Mia and Tia were about to burst in tears, my favorite racer had arrived.

"Whats happened?" he asked, panicking. I gestured to the television, and I swear I could see his eyes flash in pure horror. "Oh no," he mouthed, barely a whisper.

"She'sat the hospital in California," I said blankly.

* * *

><p><em>Lightning's POV<em>

This is all my fault.

If I hadn't fought with her, she wouldn't be in the Hospital. She wouldn't have run. She would still be in perfect condition.

"Stickers," Sally murmured, "what happened earlier today?"

"I...I told her to leave me alone," I whispered, my tone emotionless as I recalled our argument behind closed lids.

"Why? I was going to go out on a shopping trip with her this afternoon!" As I opened my eyes, staring at her incredulously, Sally looked like she was really seething.

"But I asked Mater if I should go talk to her and what I should say-"

"Mater?" she interrupted, voice full of disbelief.

"-and he told me I should tell her to back off because he thought Marlene wanted you away from me and wanted my life to be as perfect as she planned it to be," I continued.

"But she isn't like that!" the blue Porsche 911 Carrera squeaked (or at least it sounded that way). "She was just concerned!"

"That ain't true!" Mater's indignant voice sounded.

"Then you should have heard it straight from her because I know how it felt, and I know she doesn't think it that way!" Sally screeched.

My head whirled. How could my own best friend be against Marlene?

"Mater," I said solemnly, "I want the truth."

The tow truck stared around, then sighed. "So what? I was jealous, a'right? I didn't want to be replaced by some gurl as McQueen's best friend," he confessed, and everyone seemed stunned.

I stared at him gently. "Mater, if I say you're my best friend, I mean it. No one will be able to replace you, okay?"

Mater stared at me for a while longer, then lowered his head. "I wuz jealous, a'right? I didn't want to be replaced by some gurl as McQueen's best friend," he confessed, and everyone seemed stunned.

I stared at him gently. "Mater, if I say you're my best friend, I mean it. No one will be able to replace you, okay? Sally may be my girlfriend-no offense, Sally-but I won't replace you."

Mater stared at me for a while longer, then lowered his head. "I'm sorry. You must hate me."

"What? Whoa, dude, no," I reassured him. "I'm upset, yes, but I wouldn't dare hate you!" I turned to the residents. "Now, who wants to come with me to the hospital?"

* * *

><p><em>Marlene's POV<em>

I hurt all over, although the truck crushed my backside well, just barely missing my eyes. I hear voices shouting, some murmuring. I think, _Can you people just shut up and do your jobs? Can someone just speak up and give the orders instead of everybody just shouting all over?_ And, in spite of all the commotion, everything starts to fade to nothingness.

It's a safe haven, the darkness. It's quiet. I can't feel anything, not even the elation of leaving, or the remorse of the same thing, or the pang of heartache from the argument, or the agonizing pain I've felt in my undercarriage. I like it. Yet, it's also a terrifying place. It's quiet. I can't feel anything, not even the gentle whir or my engine, or the oil surging in my lines, or at least the sound of my breathing. I hate it. Now, with these two perspectives in place, what will I choose? I don't want to go back and get my rear bumper kicked, or worse, get told off. But I want to feel and see the world again, get to receive my Golden Rim Award, and see my next paycheck.

My officemates and my friends were right: I am a coward. I run from problems like these, shy away from them, and avoid them completely. Why? I hate it when I am told off, or when I need to tell my true feelings to defend what is right. But how, you know? Even when I was young, my opinion was ignored, no matter how hard I did anything. So why bother when everyone else tries to reject you?

I don't think it's long before I wake. I don't know; I'm unconscious, remember? I lost track of time since, but I hear voices as my senses clear.

"Is she alright..."

"...severe damage to her undercarriage...had to be replaced...bent too much to be repaired or otherwise broken..."

I jolt back. The whole of my lower body is...broken? With that, my eyes jerk open, and questions fill my mind. Who's that visiting me? What are the details of my accident? How extensive are my injuries? Where am I? What time or day is it? How much is my hospital fee? But a very familiar voice hits my ears.

"Marlene!" I hear it exclaim, and my vision clears just enough for me to recognize the bright color against the sterile white walls. Instantly, I reverse, tires squeaking a little, and as I bumped the wall, I gave a sound, something like a half-grunt, half-shout of pain

"Whoa, hey, hold on, you're-"

I don't listen. I whimper in pain and fear, and shut my eyes tightly as he moves forward. What's he doing here? Other than that, why has _he_ decided to come here? I thought he didn't want me? I thought he didn't want me around anymore? But why should he care about me when he just told me to back off? Is he going back on his word to say sorry? Was that just practice for some play I don't know about? What?_What?_ I rack my mind for possible excuses he might make up to explain his being here, but nothing made sense, and every excuse returned to the first event: _he told me to back off._

"Go away!" I cry, startling the doctor and the nurses. Tears start streaming down my face. "I thought you didn't want me!"

"I was wrong before!" he replied. I shrunk back despite the pain in my back and my rear. "I didn't mean it! I was angry under false pretenses!"

"It didn't look like it!"

"But it was! Mater let me believe the wrong thing," he continued softly, and I thought I heard real distress in his voice. And catching that tone made me wonder: what was he talking about? Wasn't Mater his best friend? Wasn't Mater supposed to be loyal to him? And besides, what would Mater do for Lightning and the rest of us(I don't know about that _us_ thing) deserve this? Did I do something, and if I did, what did _I_ do? I relaxed, interested, and my eyes widened considerably.

When he saw that I was listening, he spoke. "When I talked to Mater yesterday morning—yes, you were out for about two days—about what I should do—to talk to you or to tell you off—and he convinced me to tell you off. When we found the truth after the lunchtime news report—that's when we knew about your accident—we were shocked to know that he was actually jealous of you, and planned to get rid of you." He paused. "I mean, it's both stupid and weird at the same time, so everyone was as startled as you are right now. Nobody volunteered to come with me here because they thought that it was best that I be the one to talk to you myself."

I was shocked, to tell you the truth. This wasn't part of the excuses I made up for why he was here. I didn't know what to say. For what reason did Mater have to be jealous of me? _He_ was Lightning's best friend._He_ was the one who could keep up with a car in the fast lane. And _he_ was the only one who knew Lightning's deepest, darkest secrets these days. So why did he have to be jealous of me?

"So, I'm sorry for the way I acted, for the way I shouted at you, for the way I let you go." He looked away. "I didn't want you to go, honestly."

A corner of my lips lifted in a half-smile. "And I thought you didn't want me anymore."

His eyes, quick as his name, darted to meet mine, and he smiled. "Yeahhh, well…" he shrugged, and I gave a laugh.

* * *

><p><em>Yeahh, so here we are, FINALLY finished with this chapter, but don't' think it's over yet! There's a whole story coming your way, dearest readers, so don't forget to drop by again for an Italian pick-me-up! 8D<em>


	8. Epilogue: What Happens Next

_Heya guys. :3 This is the epilogue of _My Best Friend_. This is just a little bridge to my next 'book' or to the sequel. If you are a fan of Marlene (or her life in the least) and the World Grand Prix, then the next book should be for you to read and enjoy. ;3_

_Also, this epilogue is split into two, not only because I made two perfect epilogues that I can't possibly choose from them both, but also there are some important things in both versions. So I hope you, my dear reader, will like it!_

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Epilogue<span>_**

Marlene sighed in relief as she put down her pen. The editing of her article was finally over, and she had time to relax. But she just couldn't, even if she did drink decaffeinated coffee, and felt quite restless after a few minutes. She racked her brain for something to do, but everything had been done, and it was only six in the evening! Just then, a thought crossed her mind: she hasn't checked her mail in a while. Opening her laptop and loading up her YM, she found pretty useless stuff—invites from poorly-made sites or otherwise—that was legal enough to be called spam, except for one from Mr. Earlwood. She opened it and started reading.

_'September 2011_

_Marlene,_

_The World Grand Prix, which will occur within the month, is having its second run. Right now, I need a nice feature on that, and even though I've chosen Ambrister to take over the event in general, but I need **details**._

_You're friends with Lightning McQueen, as I remember it, and I'd like you to go with their team and experience firsthand how a team in the World Grand Prix works: what do they do in the pit when their racer has gone, when do they practice, and so on. Can I have the finished article—edited and all—passed about a half-month after the event or as soon as possible? I don't think I need a response from you; I know you'll only say yes. ;)_

_What I need in your article is a first-person POV/point of view on this experience of yours. I need that fire, that thrill you always give your articles. And, just as always, an advanced thanks for this. As I write this, I've got a gut feeling that you're thrilled and as excited for this as I am. :)_

_Mr. James Earlwood_

_Editor-in-Chief, _Cars Today_'_

Marlene grinned. She was going to the world-famous World Grand Prix, and on its second run! Not only that, but she was to experience firsthand what it was like in the biggest event(well, maybe the second greatest event after last year's WGP) in the whole history of racing, and what it was like to be in a real racing team.

* * *

><p>"Telegram," a forklift called, "for Team McQueen?"<p>

"I am McQueen," Lightning replied, and the blue forklift handed over an envelope. Tipping his 'hat', the mailcar left.

"Open it, open it!" Mia and Tia's identical voices pierced the air, and he did so, reading it silently and quickly.

"It says here, 'You and your team are officially invited to the second run of last year's World Grand Prix. This time, the idea of this race is to find out who is the fastest and/or the greatest racecar in the world, regardless of fuel used, engine type, and strategy,'" Lightning read, and the cars murmured assent and comments.

"We're going to the WGP again?" Sarge let out.

"Can we come? Please?" the two youngsters asked Flo.

"Only if you promise to follow the team," she replied, and the phone in the Cozy Cone Motel lobby rang loud and clear over the commotion.

"Hi, thank you for calling the Cozy Cone Motel! This is Sally Carrera speaking, and how may I help you?" Sally answered, and there was silence for a moment. "Oh, hi," she called happily. "Ah," she said, and peeked out the entrance. "Stickers, it's for you!"

As Lightning drove inside to answer, his ears caught a familiar female voice, and he smiled. "Marlene!" he called. "Anything wrong?" The twins entered the lobby just as the rest of the residents gathered outside the building to listen. "Wow, hey, that's fantastic! ...I don't know, but I think we'll be given just one or two days for preparation. …Great; we'll see you then."

"What did she say?" Mia asked as they followed Lightning out.

"Guys, Marlene's coming with us to Tokyo, Porto Corsa and London," he announced. "She was sent by Mr. Earlwood to cover a firsthand experience with the team."

"Cool!" Tia squeaked, and everyone started making arrangements.

* * *

><p>It was early evening at home, and the two main occupants were having a beautiful dinner, laughing at stories of events encountered earlier that day. Both were having so much fun, only to be interrupted by their English head butler.<p>

"Sir, madam," his English accent pierced the foreign air, "if I may be so bold to interrupt."

But the male car was too happy to be the least irritated by their loyal butler. "What is it, Jorgen?" he asked in a still-happy voice.

"We have received a letter in the mail earlier today, and—forgive me—it must have slipped my mind."

The car waved the forklift forward, and Jorgen handed an envelope on a beautiful silver tray. As the car opened the letter encased within the envelope, he began to read it silently, as that it was addressed to him.

"Hmm," he commented slightly. "It seems I'm to join the World Grand Prix on its second run."

The car across the table gasped, and a female voice rang out loudly, piercing the silence. "Sweetheart, you can't!"

The male car rolled his eyes, scoffing. "I was fine last year; surely I'll be fine this year?"

The female stared at him, but her gaze was far away as if she were remembering something in fear, then her gaze shifted, focusing, and she sighed in defeat. "You're old enough to take care of yourself; you're in your mid-twenties, after all," she said. "Fine; just know when to stop, alright?"

"Don't worry; I'll take care." He moved to nuzzle her gently. "I know I'm too precious for you to lose, but you can come with me to remind me, if you want."

She nudged him playfully, and he chuckled. "You know I'm too old for travel," she chided gently. "I think I'll stay here."

As the male car read once again the letter, glancing at the list of names, he grinned at the challenge. "This year, I _will_ be ready for him," he murmured, half to himself.

"And make sure you bring home a decent girlfriend with you; your last one was explicitly rude!"

"Mother!"

* * *

><p>The next day, Marlene arrived with her stuff at Radiator Springs, and the rest of the team was ready. Marlene just had to take up the trademark insignia of the team: the number 95 on a red and orange fireball.<p>

"No!" Mia and Tia screamed dissent as Ramone tried to cover her to prepare for the painting. "It will ruin her beautiful paint job!" And that was the end of that.

As the team prepared the last few things for tomorrow morning's leave, Lightning and Marlene sat side-by-side once more to enjoy the sunset.

"Marlene," he said softly, "it's been years since you last had a steady." They both knew that he was referring to the time back before he left her, and although it used to remind Marlene of a painful time, she now was reminded of a time she cherished the most. "You still haven't found someone since?"

"Nope," she replied. "Although I've had around six suitors—either new to the company or I was new to the company or otherwise—turned down."

Lightning gasped. "Why?"

She shook her head. "you know me. You know why I became a journalist of a car magazine." He stared at her blankly and she stared out to the horizon, just as she did before when she wanted to be serious and make a point in an emotional conversation. "Lightning, there's a reason why I am so engrossed in what you do: it gives me that thrill, that fire I used to feel when we used to race, remember? It keeps the fire going, and these days, writing about it isn't enough.

"I want someone who can give me the excitement I crave, that everyday thrill I crave, just like in racing, although there will be some times that I would want to slow down and take time to enjoy things." Lightning laughed aloud, but she didn't mind, though she smiled a little, and she nudged him a little roughly. "I want a car that can be honest with me, one that can help me with me, on that I can depend on for the…stability or encouragement a girl needs. But also," he tone softened, "I want a car who can want and need me just as I do, one not so independent, one who can trust me with the things I know I can do.

"A simple journalist-slash-co-worker can't possibly give me that, thought I mean no offense," she added quickly. "I think what I need is a car in the fast lane."

There was a pause, and Lightning spoke. "Think you'll find your match at the event?"

"No," she said. "I don't think so.

But fate was about to prove her wrong.

* * *

><p><em>Alright guys, that the official end of <em>My Best Friend_, and I believe that the next 'book' that I will release would involve the mystery car in the third segment(between the third and fourth dividers). Who is this mystery car, and what does he have to do in the Stevenson trilogy? What will happen to Marlene's love life next? Find out in the sequel, _**Love at First Drive**_._


End file.
